Choices
by CarmenSanDiegos
Summary: A final rejection from Ladybug opens Adrien's eyes to his feelings for Marinette. They start to form a closer bond as there civilian selves. They both work to improve themselves as much as they can, as superheros and people. There are trials to overcome, feelings to figure out, and of course, Hawk Moth and all his akumas to deal with. (discontinued)
1. Chapter 1

Author's note: Hi, guys! Thanks so much for reading my story. I am a brand new writer, so this is my first story, I really love MLB, and I just had some ideas I thought would be really cool to bring to life. Please bare with me though, I am still trying to figure out the fanfic site itself and the story is still a work in progress. I know the general direction of where I want the story to go and some key points that I want to include but otherwise I am kinda just letting the words flow out of me. Anyway, I will quit yapping now, I hope you enjoy the story, and I appreciate constructive criticism, it will help my become a better writer.

*Marinette wears different hairstyles all the time and ladybug always has the classic pigtails, to make it a bit less obvious;b

"Miraculous ladybug!" LB shouted as she threw the bottle of lotion her lucky charm had given her into the air. She watched it explode into the magic ladybugs, even though she'd seen it so many times, the sight never got old. It was amazing watching all the damage, big or small, be repaired almost instantly. She turned to see Cat Noir with a big grin on his face, they bumped fists. Hearing a groan caused them both to turn, the woman who owned the flower shop downtown sat back on her knees with a palm pressed to her forehead, still disoriented from the akumatization. "Don't worry, M'lady, I'll take her back." Cat gave an over-pronounced bow before scooping up the woman and jumping towards her shop.

Today, the Akuma's victim was trying to turn Paris into her flower garden by turning everyone into giant flowers, all five to six feet tall. Ladybug gazed over the city she had saved, happy that she could be there to protect it, and with an awesome partner by her side.

She heard Cat land on the roof behind her. He walked up beside her. "Another job done _purr-fectly_, Bugaboo. But I can't say I'm surprised, we are Cat Noir and Ladybug, the greatest crime fighting duo the world has ever known."

She rolled her eyes. "Wow, a cat pun and calling me Bugaboo in the same sentence." She shook her head. "Why, just why?"

"I know you secretly love my puns."

"Whatever you say, Cat. But I better get going."

Ladybug started to reach for her Yo-Yo when he grabbed her wrist. She looked back to him, eyebrow raising in curiosity. "I've gotta tell you something. I promised myself that I would."

"Okay…" The sudden seriousness in his eyes got her wondering what this was about.

He released her wrist and placed one hand on her shoulder, the other holding a rose she hadn't noticed before between them. The two superheroes met eyes for a few moments before Ladybug sighed and looked down. "Kitty… you know I-"

He interrupted her. "Please?" He slid his hand from her shoulder up to her chin and tilted her head up so she had to meet his eyes, "Please Ladybug, I know we're meant to be together. Just give me a chance, you'll see it too." He closed his bright green eyes, taking a deep breath. "I love how brave you are in any situation. I love the crazy complicated plans you always come up with. I love how smart and resourceful you are. I love how you put up with me. I love how your smile can brighten up the room. I love how you're funny and I love how you're serious when the job needs to be done. I love how your good luck can balance out my bad luck, the list goes on and on. I guess I'm just trying to say that I love you Ladybug, and no matter what happens, that will never change because every time I lay my eyes on you my affection only deepens. I just really wanted you to know that."

Shocked, LB had no idea what to say, this was a turn she had not expected their conversation to take. She felt the tears pricking, so she shut her eyes and fought them back. Cat had just put everything out there, just expressed how deeply he was in love with her, and that made her heart ache. She could no longer deny the feelings she had for Cat, but she didn't want to play with his feelings. She knew that would only end badly. Her feelings for Adrien ran so deep, she knew that she couldn't just push them aside and be with Cat, she couldn't be with Cat unless she could give him her whole heart, and right now she couldn't do that. Her hands clenched into fists, she was internally kicking herself for what she was about to do but she knew she had to do it. She opened her eyes to see him, to see the sadness in place of his usual goofy smile, like he already knew her answer.

That put her over the edge, tears brimming, she brought a hand to his cheek, "I'm so sorry," she whispered, "I really don't want to hurt you but-" he looked away, removing his hand from her chin, he reached up and took her hand from his cheek. He squeezed his eyes shut as if in pain, squeezing her hand too. Before he let go and turned away. Walking briskly, he didn't meet her eyes again. It felt like Ladybug's insides were ripping, "Chat Noir, wait! Please don't leave like this! I-I'm so sorr-"

"It's okay, I understand. I just need to be alone right now. I'll see you later." Then he grabbed his staff and bounded out of sight. Ladybug just stood there, staring after him.

Her gaze flicked down to the abandoned rose at her feet, worried about the damage she had just done. Had she just destroyed their friendship and partnership in a matter of moments? No, she would not let this ruin them, they would get through it, everything would go back to normal. It hurt her when she hurt him, but she knew the Cat's pain was probably ten times worse. She hurt him and she needed to fix it.

Her earrings beeped in her ears, letting her know that she had only a minute left before she transformed back. Grabbing her Yo-Yo from her hip, she picked up the forgotten rose, holding it close, she cast off towards home. Ladybug landed on her balcony with only seconds to spare, her transformation falling as she walked towards the skylight. Once inside, Marinette flopped face-first onto her bed. Tikki put the rose in some water then went over to the plate of cookies at Marinette's desk.

"Tikki, I am a horrible, horrible person." She groaned into her pillow.

"Oh Marinette, you can't help your feelings. Cat will understand that and things will work out." She felt the little red Kwami hug her cheek, which gave her some comfort as always but it fixed nothing. She rolled over onto her back.

"It's not just that… I love Adrien so much, he makes me happier every time he enters the room. He is so sweet and kind to everyone, but I can't get a sentence out without jumbling my words or embarrassing myself except for those very select few times. It's so stupid really, Cat could just come up to me and tell me he loves me and I can barely talk to the guy I love. Who am I kidding? I will never have a chance to be with him if I can't just act normal and be myself around him. So now I am pushing away someone who actually loves me for a guy that is way out of my league and that I can't even talk to." Marinette slid her hands over her eyes, ashamed of herself, and getting a headache from thinking too many thoughts at once. She heard Tikki buzz in thought. She separated her fingers so she could see out of one eye. The bug was smiling sweetly. Then she flew forward and patted Marinette on the nose.

"He is not out of your league. You are a strong, beautiful young woman, and any guy would be lucky to have you. Remember, you run your life Marinette, you get to decide. No, you can't choose what life throws at you, but you can decide how you will deal with it. You save the people of Paris every day, if you want to make a change then start taking the steps to make that change. All you have to do is take a deep breath, then remember that you are Ladybug and that you can do anything if you believe in yourself and put in the effort to make it happen. I believe in you Marinette, you are an extraordinary girl. So be the best you can be and do the best you can do, always have an open mind, let yourself learn and grow, make the changes you want to make to be your best self, that's all it takes."

Marinette smiled up at her little friend. "Thank you, Tikki." She rubbed a finger between the Kwami's antennae. "Who knew you were so wise," Marinette said, her smile widening,

"Well, what did you expect? I am over five thousand years old." They both giggled, Tikki happy she could make her owner feel better.

...

Adrien woke up dreading going to school, which was surprising since he loved it so much. He didn't want to face the day, to deal with people, but it was probably better for him to get out of his head. He needed a distraction, and he guessed school was his only option for now. He'd spent the night thinking and rethinking different scenarios, Plagg teasing him but also comforting him in his time of sadness. Yes, it hurt that he had, yet again, gotten rejected by his lady, but if he was being honest with himself, he already knew that she would respond the same way she responded the other times. He just thought maybe if he laid everything out on the table, that there was the slightest chance she'd say yes. But she didn't, and though the rejection frustrated him, he understood. It didn't matter how much another girl loved him, his heart belonged to Ladybug, and though the thought wrenched his insides, he knew that if she felt that way about someone else he couldn't force any other result. Even though she didn't want to be with him now, it didn't change the way he felt about her at all. He would wait for her, wait for her to sort out her feelings and realize that they were so right for each other.

Yes, he understood her decision, and he knew they would get through this rough patch, but the whole ordeal still saddened him. He just needed some time to feel better. Then everything would go back to normal.

He rolled out of bed and put on a maroon button-down over a white shirt and some grey jeans. He went into the bathroom to brush his teeth and comb his hair. Once finished, he frowned into the mirror, Plagg buzzed up beside him, a chunk of cheese in his little paws. "Chin up kid, who needs girls when you have Camembert! Oh sweet, sweet Camembert, how I love you so." He shoved the cheese into his mouth, chewing loudly.

Adrien couldn't help but smile at his little friend. "You're a ridiculous pig, Plagg."

"I'm a cat, thank you very much." he said laying on the attitude, "Now let's go down for breakfast so I can get more cheese!" Plagg became a black blur as he rushed out of the room. Adrien left standing in the bathroom, could only shake his head, a small smile on his lips. It didn't matter how much cheese he fed the Kwami, it would never satisfy Plagg.

The smile fell away as he walked to the door. He was not very excited to go eat another meal alone. Even though he had lived in the house for years, it still felt cold and foreign, always quiet and empty. His mother was the only thing that brought the warmth into their home, but now that she is gone, that warmth is gone too, and he was 99% sure it would never return.

It was probably good that he was going to school. He needed to get out of his head and sitting alone in his room was not helping. At least he had busy work to do at school, and friends to talk to, that seemed as good of a distraction as any. But he knew that as hard as he tried, he would not be able to get Ladybug out of his head.

…

Marinette was sitting in her first period, homeroom, Alya chatting her ear off about the latest akumatization when he walked in. Her heart immediately picked up speed. She was happy to see him, even though he unintentionally caused all her problems. She noticed something was off about him though. He looked as gorgeous as ever, but there was a sort of sadness in his eyes, something that his polite mask couldn't hide. She wondered if something had happened with his dad. Marinette knew that Adrien had a complicated relationship with his father. He rarely let Adrien out and kept him to a tight schedule, fencing, Chinese, photoshoots, piano, etc. Gabriel Agreste is a very cold, mysterious man, he hadn't appeared publicly in years before recently. But maybe it was something else entirely, or maybe it had been nothing and she was just crazy. Adrien's back was to her now so she couldn't be sure.

The day passed by slowly, but without incident, so that was good. It was lunch now and since Alya was in the library studying with Nino, Marinette decided to go home for lunch today. She opened one of the big double doors that led out to the front to see Adrien sitting on the stairs. Marinette froze where she stood, she wanted to go back in, not wanting to, once again, embarrass herself in front of Adrien. But then she thought better of it, thought back to what Tikki had said to her yesterday. She was going to do this. She would talk to him and be calm and collected. Taking a deep breath, she walked forward, letting the door swing closed behind her. The sound caused Adrien to look over his shoulder at her, she smiled and gave a small wave, "Hey," she said, her voice kind and steady, she was proud of herself for keeping her cool this long.

"Hey." He said smiling a little, Marinette could definitely see the sadness now, even though it looked like he was trying to hide it.

She walked over and sat down on the steps beside him. "Are you okay? You seem kind of sad today."

He looked down and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, I... I'm okay. It's nothing." Surprised by her action, she lightly reached up and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"I don't want to pry, but if you need someone to talk too, I'm here for you." She smiled sweetly at him, before lightly squeezing his arm and pulling away.

A faint smile came to his lips. "I don't really want to get into it. It's just some personal drama that's still a little sore, that's all, I'll get over it."

She nodded, a smile still in place. "What are you doing out here alone, anyway?"

"Just waiting for my driver to come to pick me up, he was doing something for my father so he is late." He checked his phone.

"My house is right down the street if you want to come over and grab a croissant or something while you wait," Marinette was totally shocked by the words that had just come out of her mouth, not to mention she sounded cool and casual. She smiled to herself, happy she'd finally gotten her act together around him, and it wasn't even that hard. She just had to be herself like Tikki said, be the Ladybug that was inside her. He looked into her eyes and smiled, which made her heart melt a little, then he glanced down at his phone again.

"Yeah, actually that would be great."

"Cool." She got to her feet and held out her hand for him. "Let's go!" He took her hand, and she helped pull him to his feet. She noticed that his grip on her hand tightened just a bit before he released it, which made her heart sore. Smile bright, she started down the stairs, Adrien at her side. His eyes seemed a little brighter than they were before.


	2. Chapter 2

"Have you downloaded Ultimate Mecha Strike 4 yet?" Marinette said before she took a bite of her chocolate croissant. They were sitting on a bench outside the bakery, "Yeah I have, it's totally awesome," she swallowed, "I know right, my parents and I were battling it out all last weekend." She looked down at her napkin, realizing that probably made her sound lame, but his kind chuckle drew her eyes back up to his. "I bet you dominated like you always do. Your so good, it's unbelievable." He said in awe, smiling, then he took a big bite of his croissant. Marinette blushed, "Well, how can I lose when I have this good luck charm." She set her pastry down on her napkin and pulled up the sleeve of her sweater to show him the orange and blue bracelet he had given her for her birthday. His eyes widened when he saw it, then his smile grew, he looked back up to her smiling eyes, "Your wearing the bracelet," he fingered the beads around her wrist, "Of course, I always wear it, and if I'm not, it's in my bag." He released her wrist and reached into his pocket, "That makes two of us then," he held the pink and green bracelet she had made, up for her to see. She remembered the day she gave him the bracelet perfectly, playing Mecha strike, eating pie in the park, and looking in his eyes now made her one hundred percent sure that the love that she felt for this boy was deep and real, and it really meant something to her, he really meant something to her. His words pulled her out of her thoughts, "We're going to have to battle it out again sometime, now that I have the advantage." He gestured to the bracelet in his hand, "You're on, but you better prepare yourself to get pulverized." She laughed and shot him a wink, he laughed too, "Oh, I don't think s-" He was cut off by the sound of a car giving a short honk. They both looked over to see Adrien's driver waiting for him, Adrien sighed and got up from the bench, Marinette stood too. "I'm sorry, my father wants me to be home, thanks for cheering me up though, and for the croissant." He smiled at her, but there was some sadness in his eyes, and without thinking, Marinette stepped forward and slid her arms around his neck in an embrace, "I'm here for you, and I hope you feel better soon." He hugged her back, but after a few seconds, she slid away, not wanting to, but knowing that much longer would be inappropriate for just a farewell hug. Slipping his bag onto his shoulder, he said, "Thanks Marinette, I will see you later." "See ya." He walked to his car, giving one last wave before getting in and shutting the door behind him. Marinette ran into the bakery and up the stairs, into her room. She flopped onto her couch, big goofy grin not leaving her face, "Tikki! Was that real?" The Kwami zipped out of Marinette's bag and up to her nose, "I am so proud of you, Marinette! I knew you could do it. You kept your cool and talked to him, and you hugged him goodbye!" Tikki zipped forward and hugged her cheek, "I couldn't have done it without you, Tikki, thank you so much." "Of course! I am always here for you Marinette, you're not just my master, you're my friend."

...

Adrien watched as Marinette brushed her bangs out of her face, then she turned and went back into the bakery, smile bright on her face. She looked pretty today, her hair was piled in a bun on top of her head, he noticed earlier that she didn't wear much makeup, unlike some of the other girls at school, it just added to the natural beauty she possesses. She wore pink overalls and a knit white sweater with patches on the top of elbows. Everything Marinette wore was herself, she was really genuine and didn't take crap from anyone. She is also really kind and cares about other people's problems and well being, like today when she saw that he was down, she tried to make him feel better and offered to keep him company. Marinette really is a great person.

He didn't know why he was analyzing Marinette right now and if Plagg knew, he would definitely get teased for it, he needed to snap out of it.

His father was called to an emergency meeting the day before so Adrien didn't get the chance to talk with him. The week went on and he found himself hanging out with Marinette more at school, they talked and laughed together, he found that he was drawn to her and he realized that whenever he was with Marinette, he felt a lot better about the whole Ladybug situation. He was happy she was there for him. It was Friday, so there hasn't been an akumatization since Sunday, that was a long time for Paris to go without a villain. Even though he loved being Cat Noir, the break was kind of refreshing, he was secretly glad that he didn't have to see Ladybug so soon after his rejection. His dad wanted him home during lunchtime again, he was curious as to why.

When he got home he was shocked to find out that his father was going to have lunch with him. They sat at opposite ends of the long table, in total silence. After a while, his father set his fork down and looked him straight in the eye, "You will not be returning to public school, I don't like the influence it's had on you of late, you can go back to get your things but that is all, you have no choice in the matter so I don't want to hear any bickering." He stood and straightened his suit jacket before he walked away, not saying another word. Adrien sat there stunned for a few moments, eyes wide, mouth gaping. Then he through his hands in his hair and started breathing deeply, this could not be happening, he didn't want to be locked up here all the time, he would never get to see his friends. He'd just sit in here, in this empty house, with only Natalie there to test his knowledge and organize his schedules. He didn't want to go back to that life, the life of speaking fluent Chinese but having no one to respond, of playing piano for no one to hear, the life of having no friends, of being alone.

He was pulled for his wallowing by the sound of Natalie's voice, "Adrien, it's time to go collect your things from school and say goodbye to your friends." Shoulders slumped, he stood, following Natalie out to the car. Waves of sorrow were crashing down on him as he imagined the weeks of solitude to come. Sure he had Cat Noir, but that isn't always going to be enough, the school was the only other freedom he had and it was being ripped away from him.

"You have fifteen minutes, we will wait here for you." Adrien got out of the car without a word, slamming the door behind him. As he trudged up the stairs, he heard Plagg whispering from inside his shirt, "I'm really sorry, kid. I know how much you liked school." It was one of the few moments when Plagg was being serious, "Yeah, must be one of those weeks, first Ladybug, and now this, I wonder what's next." He walked to his locker and emptied it, then he went to search out his friends, there was still five minutes left of the break so they should be around. He found Alya, Nino, and Marinette all walking down the hall together, Nino saw him first and waved, "We were looking for ya, dude, did you end up talking to your dad, or did he flake again?" They caught up to him and he gave a sad smile, "I talked to him, really wish I hadn't though." The sad attempt of a smile dropped off his face, he couldn't even manage that, the situation was too disheartening. "What happened?" Looking worried but also sort of curious in a way, but when it came to Alya, she was always very nosy. He looked down to the floor, he couldn't meet their eyes while he said it, "He told me that I can't come to school anymore, I'm getting homeschooled again." The slight gasp that followed his statement caused him to look up, knowing it came from Marinette. Her eyes were so sad that it made his heart squeeze in his chest. He looked to Nino and Alya, they were obviously saddened by the news as well, Nino spoke first. "Ah dude, the really blows." He stepped forward and hugged his best friend, "I am going to miss you, man." Alya wrapped her arms and both the guys, "That totally sucks Adrien, I'll miss you too." Marinette just stood there, staring at the ground, not saying anything. Alya and Nino pulled back. Alya glanced at Marinette before she looked back to Nino, "Hey Nino, I need to talk to you for a sec." He nodded glumly, She looked back to see Marinette looking up at her, Alya gave her a look. Then she slid her arm around Nino's waist, he slid his arm around her shoulders, and they walked away.

Marinette and Adrien were left standing in the hall alone, they met eyes. "I don't want you to go," she whispered and looked down. It only made him feel worse to see how much this upset her. He walked forward and wrapped his arms around her, she hugged him back, arms going around his waist, forehand leaning against his chest. "I don't want to go, it's my father, he doesn't understand me at all, he's not giving me a choice." They had been friends since the beginning of the school year, but Adrien felt like they had grown closer over the past week. He was going to miss seeing her every day, his other friends too, it was going to be so miserable at home. "I will try and get out of my house to hang out with you guys as much as I can, my father doesn't usually permit it though." He sighed, the situation felt very bleak. Marinette pulled back to look him in the eyes, "I have to tell you something…" she closed her eyes and took a deep breath before she spoke again, opening her eyes, she said, "Ever since we met I've rea-Look out!" Marinette pushed Adrien to the side, he turned to see a familiar black butterfly, and instead of entering into the collar of his shirt, she swatted at it and it entered into the beaded bracelet on her wrist. "Marinette!" He yelled, reaching towards her.

...

Marinette looked into his sad, beautiful, green eyes, she had to tell him, tell him how she felt, even though she would still see him around, she wanted him to know how she felt, she wanted to know if there could be something between them. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then she looked back into his eyes for reassurance, then started to speak the secret she had kept from him all year, "Ever since we met I've rea-Look out!" She saw the Akuma behind him and kicked into high gear, Ladybug instincts taking over. She shoved him out of the way, he was a second away from being akumatized. She swatted at the nasty bug but realized too late what would happen. Like it was happening in slow motion, the Akuma turned her bracelet black.

She was immediately bombarded with a deep male voice in her head, Hawkmoth's voice. "What happened! I wanted Adrien! No matter. Hmmm, you've never been Akumatized before, this might actually work out quite well for me." Marinette fell to her knees, slamming her hands against her head. She faintly heard Adrien yelling beside her but it was hard to go as on anything besides the voice in her head. "Get out of my head! I don't want to help you! You're evil!" She said through her teeth, shaking, she put everything she had into pushing the Akuma out. She barely registered the hands on her shoulders, they had to be Adrien's. "Come on, Marinette! Don't let him win! Don't let the negative emotions win! Fight against him! Push him away!" She heard his words and tried to latch onto them, to push harder. "Don't fight against this, I can help you, Adrien doesn't have to leave school, you'll be able to protect him." The words were too calm, too compelling, she hated it. She felt Adrien's hands squeeze her shoulders tightly, him still speaking, telling her to fight. "NO! I SAID GET OUT!"

Then, the presence in her mind was gone. Marinette slumped, her mind feeling taxed. She opened her eyes to see the Akuma flying away, Adrien kneeling in front of her, hands still in place on her shoulders. He let out a relieved sigh, "Thank Goodness you're all right, Marinette. I've never seen anyone emotionally reject an Akuma before, but I knew if anyone could, it would be you, your so strong." He moved his hand down to hers and squeezed it. They smiled at each other for a few moments, but Marinette knew she had to go capture that Akuma before it tried evilized anyone else. Heart breaking just a little, she moved her hand out from under his. Without thinking, she reached up and brushed his bangs across his forehead and out of his eyes, putting them back into place. "I am really going to miss you, Adrien, I wish you didn't have to leave, but I still want to hang out, okay?" She patted his arm and got to her feet, he looked up at her, nodding, "Y-yeah, for sure. We still have our ultimate mecha strike battle to do." She smiled down at him, "I've got to go, I'll see you around." For a split second, it seemed like his face had fallen at the statement, but he masked it quickly enough to make her wonder if she had just imagined it. "Bye, Marinette." "Bye." She said, softer then she had intended, turning she walked down the hall, away from him, not daring to look back, knowing that if she did, she might not be able to hold the pieces together.

She slipped into one of the janitorial closets so she could transform. "Marinette! That was too close, what if the Akuma would have gotten the better of you, you would have revealed yourself and Hawk Moth would have gotten your miraculous. Be more careful!" Tikki flitted out of her bag with a worried but stern expression on her face. "I know, I know, I'm sorry but we don't have time for that now, it's time to transform. Tikki, Spots on!" There was a pink flash before her suit was in place, Ladybug left the closet and dashed for the nearest window. Ready to take that Akuma down before it even had the chance to do some damage.

...

Adrien watched Marinette's retreating figure until she turned the corner. He was sad to see her go, but he would see her again soon, he'd make sure of it. The realization hit him like a ton of bricks. He leaned back against the wall and massaged his temple. He had always really cared a lot for Marinette, but he'd never thought of her in a romantic sorta way. But being with her recently, and knowing that he wouldn't get to see her every day anymore made him realize that he cared about her as more than just a friend. So he liked Marinette, it wasn't a big deal, but was it? He is so in love with Ladybug, so why was he developing feelings for another girl? This was all so confusing. Maybe the final rejection opened his eyes to other possibilities. Were his feelings for Ladybug as deep as he thought? Everything was up in the air now that he realized he had feelings for Marinette, even though he wasn't quite sure what those feelings were, exactly. Many questions circulating through his mind he walked off to say goodbye to his other classmates, knowing he only had a few minutes left.


	3. Chapter 3

When he got back to the car he was bummed to be leaving school but most of his brain was still being consumed by thoughts of Ladybug and Marinette. It was hard to focus on anything else. Once he got back home, he rushed up to his room without saying anything to anyone. He flopped onto his bed, hands covering his eyes, trying to clear his mind of all thoughts and definitely failing. So much was going on, it was hard to keep track, he wished it could all just pause. His Kwami flew out of his shirt, no doubt in search of camembert. "You doing okay, Adrien?" He asked as he opened the cabinet with his personal cheese stash inside. He moved his hands from his face so he could look at the little cat, before signing and flinging his arms out on either side of him. "Not really, I just don't understand my father sometimes. Why does he have to take me out of school? I don't want to leave my friends or my classes, I don't want to go back to my old routine of solitude. Why can't he see that I am not happy with the life he is forcing me to live, why can't he see that I don't want to be locked up here, anymore… Not to mention that I am now conflicted about my feelings for Ladybug, so I can't get that out of my head either. Ughh!" He grabbed a pillow and put it to his face, groaning. "Wait, why are you conflicted about your feelings for Ladybug? I thought you said that the rejection didn't change the fact that you still love her?" Even through the pillow, Adrien could hear Plagg chewing loudly after he finished his sentence. Voice muffled, he spoke with the pillow still in his face, "I may have forgotten to mention that I kinda have a little crush on Marinette now, so yeah." His voice clear enough for Plagg, he started gagging on his cheese, Adrien moved the pillow to make sure his friend was okay, the coughing fit quickly subsided though, the Kwami saying nothing. "What is it?" Adrien raised a questioning eyebrow in Plagg's direction. He only turned away from him though, tiny arms crossing over his chest in a show of stubborn defiance, "Nope. You're not getting anything out of me." Adrien sat up, "Come on, Plagg." The tiny cat turned back to him and flitted a little closer, "Listen, just forget about the other thing, you don't need to know about it. All I can say about your dad issues is, if you even want there to be the slightest change, you need to be the one to take action. Sure, there is a good chance that your dad will just not listen to you and send you back to your room. But there is also the slightest chance that he might hear you out, you will never know until you ask. I hope things work out but if they don't, just think of it this way, your sixteen, you have two more years at home before you get to go out on your own, a new chapter of your life will start. You can make it the way you want to, right now, times might seem bleak, so look to the future and find hope, because Adrien, you are going somewhere." Plagg flew into his palm, purring affectionately. Adrien smiled down at his little friend, Plagg teased him a lot and was usually pretty lazy, but he had his moments. He took comfort in his Kwami's words, they put his mind a little more at ease. He was going to go talk to his father, see if he could change anything or if he had any say in it at all.

He walked to his father's study door, Plagg gave him a look of comfort before hiding in his pocket. Adrien took a deep breath before he knocked. "Enter." His dad called from the other side. He opened the door to see his father scrolling on his work tablet, he didn't lookup. "Father, may I speak to you for a few moments?" Glancing up at Adrien, then back down to his tablet, he sighed, clicking the off button as he said, "I suppose." Adrien put his hands behind his back, fiddling with his ring, as he often did. "I don't want to leave school father, I don't want things to be like how they used to. I had no friends, I was here alone all the time, I don't want that anymore. I love going to school, I think it benefits me more to go, then to stay here all day every day." Gabriel usual cold expression didn't change, "You are my son, Adrien, I will decide what is best for you. We will discuss this at a later time, I have work to do. Your tutoring with Natalie will resume tomorrow." He looked back down to his tablet and started working again, silently dismissing his son. "Yes, father." Head hanging, he went back up to his room, shutting the door behind him. "I guess I wasn't really expecting him to listen to me, but it still bites when he doesn't ." He looked to Plagg, who was hovering nearby, "It's going to be okay." "I know, buddy. Thank you." He was so glad that the Kwami was apart of his life, he had really helped him through tough times. He may be lazy and obnoxious but he was his best friend. "I wanna clear my head for a bit, you up for it?" "I guess you haven't transformed in a while but I was just about to get some cheese…" Adrien smirked, "I'll take that as a yes, Claws out!" "Wait! no-" Plagg yelled as he was sucked into the ring. After a bright green flash, Adrien was Cat Noir.

He opened his window and jumped out onto the nearest roof. Retrieving his stick from his back, he took off, bounding over the rooftops. He raced through the city, loving in the feel of the wind in his face, a week was too long to go without being Cat noir. He'd forgotten how refreshing and fun it could be. Cat ended up near the top of the Eiffel tower, a place closed off to visitors so he wouldn't be bombarded by people. He stood there, eyes closed, feeling the cool breeze on his face, he let it relax him and clear his mind. Then he sat and looked over the city that he usually saved every day. He wondered why Hawk Moth had been so quiet recently, he did send an Akuma out today, but it is uncommon for him to go a week without trouble. He should have sent an Akuma out days ago. The situation smelled fishy to him. Wait! What about the Akuma?! After it failed to Akumatize him and Marinette, it probably went off to find another victim. Cat examined the city more closely now, but everything seemed quiet from up here. He was just about to go down lower and investigate when something caught his eye, a blur of red dashing across the rooftops. He was too high up to make out any details but it had to be Ladybug.

Cat came down from the Eiffel Tower and was dashing across the rooftops again. Ladybug was still pretty far off but he could catch her, since she was moving at her full speed he could make up the ground. He had to tell her that there is an Akuma, possibly a villain now that's just keeping quiet.

Soon enough Cat had caught up to her, "Ladybug!" He called toward her, she stopped and turned. "Cat Noir?" He put on a playful smirk, "Long time no see, did you forget what I look like, Bugaboo?" Without another word she rushed forward and threw her arms around his neck. Cat was shocked by the action but didn't stop her. "Oh Cat, I am so sorry. I was worried that you'd never speak to me again, I can't lose you as a partner, you mean too much to me so I will do everything I can to make it right." He smiled and wrapped his arms around her, "I could never stay upset with you, M'lady. The issue is over and done with." And he meant it, he couldn't stay upset with her, because being here with her now just reminded him of all the love that he felt for her. He knew without a shadow of a doubt that he loved this girl. But he still had feelings for Marinette as well, that was something he would have to work out later.

She was close, he liked that, it was the pulling away part he wasn't too crazy about. It felt colder now that she was away from him. She looked up into his eyes, which helped a little, "You mean it, Kitty?" He gave her a reassuring smile, "I really do." They both smiled at each other for a few moments before Cat remembered something, "Oh wait, I saw an Akuma around, it is probably a villain by now," Her smile grew just a tad, "Don't worry, I already took care of it." She gave him a wink, "I better go though, I need to be home." "Until next time, my fair lady." He gave her the bow that he often did, it made her giggle, "See ya around, Kitty Cat." Then she grabbed her yo-yo off her hip, gave a casual salute, then cast off. He heard some crowds yell to Ladybug as she soared over them. Cat smiled in the direction she had gone in, then he turned to head home himself. Happy he was able to work things out with his lady.


	4. Chapter 4

Marinette climbed into her room through the skylight, She was so glad she decided to blow off school and clear her head after she captured the Akuma. Otherwise, she wouldn't have gotten to talk to Cat Noir. "See, I told you everything would work out," Tikki said as she grabbed a macaron from her desk. "Yeah, I am so happy it did." "Me too." Marinette's phone buzzed, she checked the screen and saw a text from Alya,

**Al: I have the notes and homework for the classes you missed after lunch, U doin ok girl?**

M: Yeah

M: I'm fine, I just didn't feel like going to class, needed to clear my head, ya know, and thanks for the notes

M: Wait, how did you get notes? We don't have Math and History together.

**Al: Yeah, of course, I get it, Adrien leaving probably hit you pretty hard**

**Al: Nino isn't doing too good either**

**Al: and I got the notes from Alix and Rose, so you should thank them too.**

M: Ok, wanna come over?

**Al: Sure! See you in 10**

M: Yep!

A few days later…

The weekend had been uneventful, she hung out with Alya and Nino, Adrien couldn't come because he had a photoshoot. She helped her parents in the bakery too, but that was all. Hawk Moth has been quiet since the incident on Friday. What was going on with him lately, whatever it is, it has to mean trouble. Alya didn't want Nino to sit alone in homeroom, so she asked her if she could sit with him. Of course, Marinette said yes, she felt bad for Nino, Adrien was his best friend after all, and it was only to be expected that his girlfriend would want to comfort him, who was she to stand in the way of that. Only now that she was sitting in class did she realize how sad the situation she was in was. Now she was sitting alone, looking at the back of her friend's red-brown curls instead of Adrien's perfect blonde head. Why did life have to be so cruel sometimes? Okay, she knew was being a bit overdramatic, she just missed him.

More days passed…

It was Wednesday after school, Marinette was sitting at her desk, staring at her phone. She had just finished all her school work. It was weird not having to scramble to get all her work finished on time and to get where she needed to be. Being Ladybug took up a lot of her time, so not having to jump into action at any given moment these last weeks felt strange. She had nothing to do, her work was done, her parents didn't need her help, Alya was busy, she could sketch or work on some new designs but she hadn't been feeling very inspired lately. So she sat, finger hovering over the text icon on her phone, she knew what she wanted to do, but she hesitated. "Should I text him, Tikki?" She looked to her little friend, "You miss him so much, I can tell, just invite him over. I bet he misses you too." "But what if I act like a total dork and embarrass myself?" The Kwami gave her an exasperated smile, "I thought you were over that?" "What if all my cool is gone now, and I start acting crazy around him again." "Remember M, you're in control, everything will be fine, you'll be great, just be yourself and stay calm." "Okay, Fine." Marinette sighed and picked up her phone. Tikki just giggled.

M: Hey

M: I haven't seen you since Friday, school is definitely not the same without you, do you want to come over and hang out? We could watch a movie or play mecha strike or something?

Marinette set her phone down, worries running through her head about the text she had just sent. Did she sound desperate and lame, would he even respond, he probably didn't even miss her and was annoyed by her texts. Marinette put her forehead on the desk, groaning, "This was a terrible idea Tikki, he probably thinks I sound like a total moron in those texts." "Oh Marinette, you worry too much, it will be okay." About thirty seconds later, her phone buzzed on the table. She popped up and snatched it.

**A: That sounds awesome, I hope I can come :)**

**A: I need to talk to Nathalie and I will get back to you in a minute**

She sighed, totally relieved, of course she had been jumping to crazy conclusions, it was Adrien, he was probably one of the kindest people on this earth. She knew his father might not let him out, but just to pass the time while she waited for a response, she stood and started collecting all the photos of him from around the room. She changed the wallpaper on her computer too, it was now a picture of her, Alya, Nino, and Adrien, she really liked the photo and decided she was going to leave it, even after he was gone. Marinette took all the pictures she had taken from the walls and put them in a drawer. Then she climbed up the stairs to where her bed was, on the wall next to it was a bulletin board. She took some of the Adrien photos off and rearranged the rest. By the end it looked good, all of her favorite pictures of her friends were up there, and definitely more noticeable now that the big pictures of Adrien were out of the way. There were still some of Adrien, but there were also pictures of Nino, Max, Kim, and Ivan too, so they didn't stand out as much. And in the bottom left corner was a smaller picture of Cat Noir. Just looking at the picture made her burst out laughing, she remembered the day it was taken perfectly. They had just defeated another villain, they had a little time so reporters were talking to them. Cat was imitating the villain they had just fought and Alya decided to take a picture. It came out hilarious, his eyes were crossed, head tilted, and his claws were at either side of his head, with his tongue sticking out. When Alya sent her this photo, Marinette could resist printing it and putting it on her board. For one, because it was a funny picture, but also because Cat was one of her best friends, so she thought he deserved some space on the board.

She went back down the steps to put away the last pictures of Adrien and check her phone.

**A: I can! **

**A: What time do you want me over?**

M: Yay! :) How bout 4:15?

**A: Sounds good, excited to see you :D**

M: Excited to see you too

"Tikki! He's coming! He's excited to see me! Me!" She said, laying on her day bed, hugging the phone close, she couldn't wipe the huge smile off her face. Tikki hovered above Marinette's nose, shaking her head and giggling, "What are we going to do with you?"

Marinette walked into the kitchen, looking for her mom. She found her making tea, "You want some, honey?" "No thanks, Mama. My friend from school Adrien is coming over soon, I hope that's okay? His dad pulled him out of school and hardly ever lets him out, so I don't get to see him much, Alya and Nino are coming later. We will just be upstairs, we won't bother you." Her mother turned, kind eyes smiling, she set her tea on the counter and walked over, stroking Marinette's cheek she said, "Adrien seemed like a very nice boy when I met him, don't worry he can come, just keep the doors open okay? I will be down here if you need anything." Marinette smiled and hugged her mom, "Thank you, Mama, I will."

Marinette sat at the stools in the kitchen, scrolling through Fashion Weekly on her phone, her mom moving about the kitchen. She was making the marinade for the chicken they are having for dinner tonight, Marinette offered to help but her mom politely refused.

There was a knock at the door so she stood and slipped her phone into her back pocket on her way to the door. She answered and saw Adrien standing there with a bright smile on his face, green eyes sparkling. "Hey!" He gave her a quick hug in greeting that she gladly returned. "Hi," she stepped aside so he could walk in, "Your dad told me to come up here, hope that's alright." "Oh yeah, totally," They started through the kitchen towards the stairs, "Hi Ms. Cheng, it's good to see you again." He waved, she smiled at them, "Aww, it's nice to see you too, hon, and please, call me Sabine, I insist." "Oh, alright then, Sabine." He smiled at her shyly, "I'll see ya later mom, and could you please send Nino and Alya up when they get here?" "Of course, dear." "Thank you." They started up the stairs, "Yeah, I told Nino and Alya that your dad let you out because they miss you too. Nino has a family thing, he said he'd be over at 5:00 and Alya a little after that, she is babysitting." "Cool, I am so happy I get to see you guys and be out of that house. The only time I can leave is for photoshoots and fencing, it gets pretty lonely." Marinette gave him a sympathetic look, then she opened her trap door and walked up, Adrien close behind. "I was surprised they let you come, you rarely get to hang out," "Yeah, you and me both, I talked to Nathalie and I think she feels guilty that my father took me out of school when I didn't want to be. She said that I could come and she would take care of things with my dad. He probably isn't too happy that I am taking a break from my strict studying regimen." He gave a sad chuckle, Marinette decided to change the subject, "You up for Ultimate Mecha Strike 4?" A smirk coming onto her face, she raised an eyebrow. He puts on a smirk of his own, "Sure, but the question is, are you up for getting demolished on Ultimate Mecha Strike 4?" She laughed, "In your dreams, maybe. You can't beat me, I am the queen of UMS." "I guess the queen is about to be knocked off her throne." "We'll see, we'll see." She handed him a joypad and powered up the game. He looked at her computer wallpaper, "Oh, I love this picture, that day at the zoo was so fun." She smiled, happy he liked the picture too. "Yeah, it was so awesome, I like that picture too."

Marinette won the first game, and his astonished face as he stared at the screen made her completely crack up. After she regained some of her composure she said, "You know, you really should be this surprised." She laughed again, "Now, it is time to bow to your queen." He turned to her, face totally serious, "Best out of five games." Smile still wide on her face, "If you insist, but I don't know if you can handle that much defeat." He grabbed his controller off the desk, she picked up hers too. "No way, I was off my game on the last one, this time you are going down."

They were now on their fifth game, as Marinette did her finishing move she called smugly, "Ha! Boo-ya!" Adrien groaned, out of the five games, he had only won once. "You ready to admit defeat yet?" She shot him a wink to let him know that she meant no harm by her teasing. "One more game, so when I win I can regain a little of my dignity." Marinette raised her eyebrows, "And when you lose?" "Not gonna happen, I gotta feeling about this one." "Okay, you're on."

She was so focused on her game that she didn't notice when his foot came up, he kicked her chair, causing it to spin and roll across the room. "Hey!" She jumped up and rushed back over to the screen but it was too late, Adrien's name flashing across the screen. He had a sly grin on his face, "Ha! I won!" "You're a cheater!" She pushed him, it just made his chair spin, only causing him to laugh harder. She went and rolled her chair back over to her computer before she sat back down, scowling. He stopped spinning and tugged on one of her braids, smiling, "Don't worry, now that you're not queen anymore, I am sure they will let you be a jester or something." She couldn't stop the small smile that came onto her lips, "I am still queen, cheaters never win." "Well, I think I just proved that statement wrong." They were both laughing now. "Guys?" Someone called from down the stairs, "We're up here Nino." Marinette called, they heard feet clomping up the steps, Adrien stood to greet him. A few seconds later Nino's head popped up from the trap door. He finished climbing the stairs, "Adrien! I've missed ya dude." They bumped fists, "It's good to see you, Nino." "Yeah, you too, school totally blows without you." He looked over to Marinette, "Hey M, thanks for the hang." She smiled, "No prob, you guys want to watch a movie?" "Sure." both the guys responded. As they were walking down the stairs, she got a text from Alya,

**Al: Hey, I'll be there in 10**

M: Cool :D

By the time they made popcorn and picked a movie, Alya was there. It was a really fun night, Marinette was glad she got to spend some time with Adrien, it was always fun when they all hung out together, but it was rare. Adrien got out when he could, but with a dad as strict and stern as Gabriel, he couldn't be blamed for not being able to hang out most of the time. Hopefully, that would change now that he wasn't going to school anymore. Being with Adrien made her feel really happy, and the more time she spent with him, the more comfortable she became. She just hoped he felt the same way.


	5. Chapter 5

The days passed in a blur of Nathalie testing his knowledge on different subjects, photoshoots, and piano, among other things. The only thing that stuck out was when he hung out with his friends, it was the only thing he had to look forward to. It was halfway through his third week of homeschooling and he had seen his friends only twice, once at Marinette's and the other time they went to go get drinks at a small cafe. There was still no sign of any activity from Hawk Moth, it had been nearly a month now. Every day was painfully boring and lonely, he was getting sick of it. It was like he had lost school and being Cat Noir since Hawk Moth's akumas were MIA lately.

He finished the last question on the review quiz Nathalie gave him for math, she was out doing something for his father so she told him to put it on her desk when he was finished and then start working on his history. He put the pages on her desk then went back to his room. "Who am I kidding, Plagg? I can't live like this for two more years."

"I don't know what to tell ya, kid."

"At least if there were akumas I could actually be doing something."

"At least nobody has been in danger for a while, but Hawk Moth's sudden dormancy is very strange."

"Yeah, I mean I don't like that Hawk Moth is trying to hurt people, but I just miss the action and rush of saving the city, and I miss seeing Ladybug all the time."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it, no need to get all lovesick on my now. Let me eat my cheese without your yapping." Adrien sat there for a few minutes, listening to Plagg chew before he stood, "I'm sorry to interrupt your never-ending meal buddy, but I gotta get out of here." Plagg's eyes just widened and he shoved the big chunk of cheese into his mouth before Adrien said the transforming words.

He jumped out of his window and away from his house. After giving the city a short scan for trouble out of habit, of course, there was none, he jumped into a nearby ally and detrasformed. He didn't feel like talking to reporters or anything, so Adrien would do for walking around the city. He just needed his suit to get away from his bodyguard. He walked to the park entrance that was across the street. He examined the scene before him, a little boy and girl were chasing a dog around, their parents standing close by, chatting. There were two teens he recognized from school, he didn't know their names, they were sharing earbuds and laughing. There was another group of children playing tag by the trees, a family enjoying a picnic together. It was a pleasant Thursday afternoon and there were people all around having a good time, his mood was already brightening. He walked around the park until he came to another entrance on the far side. Adrien could see Marinette's house on the street corner, that's right, this was the park right next to her house. He'd been here with her plenty of times. He only hesitated for a moment, knowing it was impolite to just show up uninvited, but he was already here and missed her too much to care. Adrien just hoped she was home. He walked over and saw the closed sign on the door, that was weird, they weren't normally closed on Thursdays. He pulled out his phone,

A: Hey, sorry for just dropping by like this, but I was in the neighborhood and wanted to see you. I'm outside the bakery, are you home?

He looked up, but couldn't see her balcony from where he was standing, his phone buzzed a few seconds later…

**M: You're here? I will be down in a second to let you in.**

A: Thx :)

A few moments later Marinette was at the door with her perfect smile in place, "Hey! What's up, did your dad let you out again?"

"Hey, uh, I kinda snuck out, I was sick and tired of being locked up in that house. Then I realized I was passing by your house, are you busy? Because I'll totally leave if you are,"

She pursed her lips in thought, "Well, I was just about to make a cake,"

He looked down, "oh, yeah, I get it…"

"But you can help if you want?"

He perked up, "Really? That would be so cool, but I probably won't be much help, I've never made a cake before."

She opened the door wider and he stepped inside, "Don't worry, I can teach you, it's not that hard, you just have to follow the recipe" They walked into the bakery's kitchen and she gave him a white apron, she was already wearing a pink one. She started moving about the kitchen, pulling out ingredients, pans, etc. She started telling him to do things as well, he happily complied.

"So, what's the cake for?" He said glancing at the recipe on the counter.

"It's my mom's birthday today, so they closed up shop and my dad is spending the day with her, so it is for her."

"That's cool of you to make a cake for your mom, and thanks for letting me help."

"Of course, I like hanging out with you. And my mom has done so much for me, the least I could do is make her favorite cake on her birthday." Marinette smiled over her shoulder at him, then she continued mixing ingredients. She looked so at home in the kitchen, he liked watching her work.

"Could you go get the flour for me from the pantry over there?" "Sure," he went over and grabbed the big bag of flour, he was walking behind her, the bag in his arms, when she whipped around and slammed into him, causing the flour to puff out all over them.

"Oh gosh! I didn't know you were behind me!"

He set the bag down, laughing hysterically, she wiped her face with her apron but it didn't do much. There was flour in her hair and all over her face and shoulders.

"Sorry, didn't mean to sneak up on you," he said, still laughing. When she looked at him, she couldn't help but giggle herself. He pulled out his phone to see what he looked like, there was flour on his face and neck, but aside from parts of his bangs, his hair was relatively flour-free. Unlike Marinette's, do to her shorter stature, her head was almost completely coated in flour. She took his phone and examined herself in his camera, then her eyes returned to his, eyebrows raising.

"Hey, no fair, you don't have nearly as much flour on you." Before he could react, she reached into the open bag of flour beside her and smacked the hand full of the powdery mess right onto his head.

He jerked away from her, "Ah! My hair!" Marinette just laughed, "Oh, you're in for it now,"

Still laughing, her eyes widened, "No!" She turned and fled. She was running laps around the bakery with him right on her tail, "Stay back!" She yelled, they both couldn't stop laughing as he chased her,

"I must get my revenge!" He finally caught her around the waist, lifting her off the ground with ease. She squirmed, trying to break his grip, but he held. Though her she looked petite, Marinette was surprisingly really strong, but he was strong too. Even though the suits magically enhanced his performance and durability, it was still his body moving inside the suit, so over the months of being Cat Noir, he had gained some muscle. He brought her back over to the work station, where the bag of flour leaned against some cabinets. Marinette slumped in his arms, "Come on Adrien, you don't have to do this." She pleaded.

He gave her a devious smile, "Oh, but I really, really want too." She mumbled something and tried to look irritated, but he knew she was having fun by the small smile on her lips she was attempting to hide. He set her back on her feet, she started struggling again but he held her tight with one arm. Using his free hand, he grabbed some flour from the bag and plopped it atop her head, spreading it down her braid, the only part of her dark hair that wasn't white yet. He gave her braid a light tug before he let her go, she was laughing so he knew she couldn't be too mad.

"Gee thanks, now I know that if I ever want to dye my hair, white is definitely the way to go." She gave him a playful shove, then brushed her bangs out of her face. Once their laughter started to die down, they examined the kitchen's condition. There were the ingredients littered about the counter along with the half-made batter, there was flour on the floor, and of course, it was all over them as well.

"Now we've gotta clean up this mess, and I still need to bake the cake, all before my parents get home in a few hours" Worry flickered across her expression, as if she was regretting the fun they had just had, he looked into her eyes and gave her a comforting smile, placing a hand on her shoulder, "Don't worry Marinette, you can handle it and I'll help you, if there's anyone I know who can make this cake fast and amazing, it's you. You keep baking while I clean." She smiled and looked down, nodding, pink coloring her cheeks a bit.

Before anything, they went into the bathroom to try and clean up themselves the best they could. It didn't do much, just got some of the excess flour off. When they went back to the kitchen they were still dusted with white, it was nothing that a good shower wouldn't fix. He swept the floor while she continued making the batter. After he finished, he went around and put away the ingredients she had already used. They were talking about this and that as they worked, it was quite enjoyable for Adrien to be in the kitchen with Marinette, he was happy he got to spend the time with her.

The cakes were baking and Marinette had made the buttercream so they just had to wait for cakes to finish baking and cooling. They sat, waiting, "So… Are you doing okay with the whole homeschooling thing, you kinda mentioned it earlier and I'm here if you need to talk."

"Uh, yeah I guess, I mean, my friend told me some things that made me feel a little better, but it just gets lonely sometimes, you know? I miss going to school with you guys."

"Yeah, I'm sorry Adrien, you shouldn't be feeling alone all the time. Did your dad ever give you a reason why he pulled you out?"

"Well, sort of, he just said that he didn't like the influence it was having on me or something. But he never really elaborated, I just assume it is one of his way overprotective dad things. I don't think he realizes that I am not a child anymore, but I also feel like he holds me to the work expectations of an adult. It's kinda hard to explain,"

She looked at him, eyes kind, "No, I get it, you just want to live your life as a teen while you still can, you feel like your dad isn't letting you do that though. You having to stay at home all the time, and stay on your tight schedule, that sounds really rough. But I am here for you if you ever need me." She nudged him with her shoulder, he smiled, looking into her eyes again. They were bluebell colored, very beautiful, and easy to get lost in. They were very familiar and warm to him, but there was something else about them that he couldn't place, like when you lose your train of thought, you try and try to remember, but you just can't. It was kind of like that. He pushed it aside though, thinking it was probably something irrelevant.

He smiled, "Thank you… for being there, for being your kind, awesome self all the time, for helping me through my rough times. You really mean a lot to me."

Her eyes smiled along her lips, she blushed. "You mean a lot to me too, Adrien, thanks for letting me be there."

He realized how close they were, he was looking down at her, she up at him, their noses only inches apart. They were staring deep into each other's eyes, without thinking Adrien slowly started to move toward her…

The sound of the timer going off caused them both to jump back against the couch, she stood, "I better get that," then walked off towards the kitchen. He was left sitting there, wondering if they would have kissed if they hadn't been interrupted. What was he thinking anyway? He was in love with Ladybug! He must have just got caught up in the moment or something, right?

Plagg flew out of his shirt, "Well well well Casanova, you just went for it, too bad that timer had to so rudely interrupt that beautiful moment." He teased, Adrien rolled his eyes, then sighed and put his hands in his hair,

"I don't even know anymore, Plagg."

"Is the boy confused about his feelings?"

He spoke in a low voice to ensure that Marinette wouldn't hear him,

"I know you'll just tease me but I guess your opinion is better than nobodies. I just can't figure it out, if I love Ladybug so much then why do I want to kiss another girl. I was so sure about my feelings a few months ago and now I am so confused. I don't even know what my feelings for Marinette are yet, I just know that they are present and that is enough to turn everything upside down."

"You know, it's not the end of the world to like two girls, you're a teenager. You'll figure out eventually." He couldn't figure out Plagg's expression, it was like he was thinking about an inside joke that Adrien wasn't in on.

"I guess," He stood, and as he walked to the kitchen he couldn't help but imagine what her lips would feel like against his.

…

Marinette was pulling the cake pans out of the fridge but her mind was in a completely different place. Had Adrien been about to do what she thought he was going to do? Had he been about to kiss her? The thought made her giddy but also nervous, it filled her head with questions. Did Adrien like her like she liked him? Did her mind just imagine that he was leaning in, or did it actually happen? What if they kissed and he decided he didn't like her anymore? What if she was just totally crazy and Adrien only thought of her as a friend?

But one question was circulating her head more than all the others, What would've happened if the timer hadn't gone off? That stupid timer! Sure she had imagined kissing Adrien before, but this felt different somehow, more real. Then again, maybe she was just being crazy and imagined the whole situation. "Tikki, I think I am feeling faint." She just giggled from her hiding place and whispered,

"We'll talk later."

Marinette was getting the frosting out of the fridge when Adrien walked in, she jumped, "Ah! Uh, I mean hey…" She quickly busied herself with the cake, not meeting his eyes. The more she thought about it, the more ridiculous it sounded. Why would Adrien kiss her? He had casually told her that he was in love with someone else, not too long ago, she probably misread the entire situation. Marinette was feeling embarrassed all of a sudden. They were just friends, so what? At least he was that much, at least she had him in her life. Maybe one day they could be more but if not, she would just have to get over it... somehow.

"Hey, you want some help?" He smiled at her, that made her feel better and more comfortable. She decided it didn't matter what has happened, she just needed to let it play out, whatever "it" is.

"Sure, could you grab the piping bags and tips out of that drawer?" She pointed,

"Yep,"

She started assembling the cake, putting a nice layer of chocolate buttercream in between each layer of the cake. She swirled raspberry jam with the frosting in between each layer, she was making her mom's favorite cake, just the way her dad does it. After she finished stacking the layers she covered the cake in chocolate frosting. Once the outside layer was smoothed out, she piped dollops of cream cheese frosting around the top edge of the cake, then she let Adrien pipe them around the bottom, he was actually pretty good. Then they stuck a raspberry in each dollop. The cake was simple but beautiful, she knew her mom would love it.

"Wow Marinette, this cake looks fantastic. You did a great job," He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and gave her a quick side hug.

She smiled and felt her cheeks grow warm, "Thanks for helping out and keeping me company." She nudged him, "I could have done without the flour shower though."

He tickled her side, she giggled and jumped away, "Hey, it's not my fault you don't watch where you're going. I'm also taller then you so, of course, you're going to more flour in your hair." Marinette opened her mouth in mock offense, then smirked, "First, you cover me in flour and now you are picking on my height," She just closed her eyes and shook her head like she was disappointed. Then she laughed and gave him a playful slug on the arm.

Adrien pulled out his phone, glancing at the screen, he frowned, then sighed, "I better go, I've been gone for a while. I don't want them to get too worried." Marinette was sad he had to leave, but she understood.

"What time is it?" She asked,

"8:20."

Her parents would be home in about ten minutes. They hugged, "I had a lot of fun today, Adrien, I'm glad you could get out. It's always better when you're around." She couldn't see his smile but she could hear it in his voice and imagined it lighting up his face,

"I had a great time too, I will try and get out again soon. You know, the best days are the ones I get to spend with you." They pulled back, Adrien brushed his fingers across her forehead, putting her bangs back in place, similarly to when she had done the same to him. "I'll see you around, M." With that he turned, giving a short wave once he got to the doors,

"Uh, see you," She said before he could leave. He smiled, then he opened the doors and was soon gone.

Marinette smiled after him, Tikki giggled and flew out of her pocket to get some raspberries, "Humans are so funny sometimes," She just shook her head and bit into her berry.

"What is that supposed to mean?" She raised an eyebrow at her Kwami, her smile still in place. She gave her owner a cheeky grin, "Oh nothing."

She didn't ponder the comment Tikki had made for long, her thoughts centered around Adrien.


	6. Chapter 6

(Scroll to the end to view A/N.)

The next week, Marinette was sitting in her room watching Clara Nightingale's newest music video on her phone when she got a news alert, she clicked over to it. Nadja Chamack came onto the screen,

"Don't be bemused, it's just the news. We have all been wondering for over a month now where Hawk Moth has gone, and no akumatizations also means no heroes. The last we saw of Ladybug was when she was seen swinging by Le Grand Paris hotel weeks ago. Her partner, Cat Noir, hasn't been spotted since the last Akuma. We have just received an anonymous message that we thought was necessary to address immediately, it reads as follows, 'TVi News station, this message is for your city's so-called heroes, Ladybug and Cat Noir. As you are aware, Hawk Moth has been quiet as of late but don't you worry, he is still around and he will seize your Miraculous in the end, I will be waiting at the top of the Eiffel Tower at 2:00 am, tonight, bring no one else, your other little superhero friends and civilians alike. If you don't show up, there will be consequences, and trust me when I say that you don't want to find out what those will be. The same goes for showing up with anyone besides yourselves. I don't want to see any other little superfriends, only the cat and bug. I'm looking forward to seeing you two again, we are old acquaintances. Prepare yourselves.' Sighed "D".

We don't know what this message means for our heroes, but it can't be good. But Paris has total faith that the super duo will beat this villain and come out on top like they have done time and time again. Now onto the-" Marinette clicked off her phone, turning to Tikki, who was hovering beside her, the Kwami was frowning,

"I don't like this, it is most definitely a trap and since Hawk Moth has been dormant for so long I worry that this villain might be extra tough."

"I know, but I am worried about the repercussions of not going. Whoever this person is, they don't sound like they are kidding around. I don't want defenseless civilians getting hurt."

"The whole situation seems more discreet in a way,"

"You call having your hate message broadcasted on the news discreet?"

"I just mean, usually the Akuma makes enough trouble around the city to catch you and Cat's notice first, and I doubt the news was the villain's favorite option but since they don't know your identities, they probably couldn't think of a better way to get the message across. I don't know, the whole situation seems very shady, I've got a bad feeling about it."

Marinette gave her little red friend a comforting smile,

"I get what your saying Tikki, and don't worry, I'll be careful, but it's my job as Ladybug to protect the people of Paris and I can't just turn my back on them. The kitty cat and I will take down this baddie like we always do." The Kwami looked at her, smiling a bit,

"You are so brave Marinette and a really amazing Ladybug. I'm so glad you're my owner and my friend." She hugged the little creature, "I couldn't have done it without you Tikki, and I'm not just talking about the fact that I need you to wear the suit, you've helped make me the Ladybug I am today, and you still work to help me be the best I can be all the time. I'd be lost without you."

They sat there for a bit, Marinette stroking Tikki's bulbous head, then she said,

"Okay, I've got plans to make and a Cat to find, you ready Tikki?" The Kwami set the rest of her macaron aside, looking up expectantly,

"Spots on!"

…

Adrien clicked out of the news report, looking to Plagg. Mouth full of cheese, he said,

"The whole situation seems shady to me."

"Yeah, this villain is probably bad news, Cat Noir should probably make an appearance at the Eiffel Tower tonight," Plagg rolled his eyes and swallowed,

"It's going to be a trap, this ploy is obviously bigger than this "D" whoever is letting on. There's got to be a reason for Hawk Moth's inactiveness lately and you know those reasons can't be good. I say you just blow it off and see what happens."

Adrien shook his head, "No way, I can't put the people of Paris in danger, this is my fight, and I will have my lady by my side. We can take em, just like we always do." The small Cat just shrugged and started reaching for another piece of cheese. Adrien thought for a moment, then spoke,

"Knowing Ladybug, she will want to meet up and make plans beforehand, is she trying to contact me, Cheese Brain?"

"Wouldn't you like to know, I'm thoroughly enjoying my cheese right now, try again in a couple of hours."

"Fine, if you insist on me transforming to find out, I will." The kwami just grumbled.

"Plagg, claws out!"

Cat grabbed his stick and flipped it open, as expected there was a message waiting for him,

**LB: You saw the news right? Watch it then meet me on the roof of TVi station.**

He smirked and sprang from the window, happy he knew her so well.

Cat landed on the roof next to Ladybug, she turned to look at him,

"Good, your here,"

"I always come when you call, M'lady."

She just rolled her eyes, he chuckled.

"I assume you watched the news?"

"Yup, sounds like an old friend has it out for us."

She looked down in thought, then said,

"But who could it be?"

"I have no idea, maybe a villain we've already fought before? Or maybe a civilian we had a run-in with? There's not a way to know until tonight."

"Yeah, your right. In the meantime, we need to talk to the news station, tell them they can't cover tonight's meeting. Hopefully, they'll cooperate,"

"Who knows? Sure they respect us as superheroes, but reporters are the nosiest people out there and the message was read on their news station." He shrugged.

"Let's go, then we'll talk to the Eiffel Tower staff."

The duo went inside and talked with some of the managers and producers.

"So to ensure the safety of the people, we ask that you stay away from the Eiffel Tower tonight and encourage others to do the same." Ladybug said after explaining how potentially dangerous this villain could be and such.

The woman standing before them was tall with brown hair and ruler-straight bangs, with a plump man at her side, the top of his head was bald but the sides had messy black curls. They shot glances at each other, then back to the heroes, concern etching across their features.

The woman spoke first, "I don't know, guys, we get what the message said of course, but this is a major scoop, the first villain in over a month. We are expected to cover it."

"Yes, we understand that but is the story and publicity worth the whole camera crew dying?" She said it with a straight face.

The man sighed, "You're right, we understand, we'll stay far away from the encounter tonight." The woman held out her hand, "Thank you Ladybug," They quickly shook hands, then she held did the same to Cat, "Cat Noir, thanks for keeping us safe and looking out for the people of Paris." Ladybug smiled faintly,

"Of course, but we should get going now. Ready Kitty?"

"After you M'Lady."

They talked to the Eiffel Tower guard, at first he was hesitant since it was his job, but he came around when the danger of the situation was further explained. He agreed to keep himself and others away from the tower tonight.

Now they sat on the roof of an old church building, side by side, looking out at their surroundings. Cat turned to LB, "I'm glad I get to see you again, it's been a little while." She looked at him and smiled, but he could tell by her eyes that many different thoughts were twisting through her head.

"Yeah, it's weird, not seeing you every day, not being Ladybug. Sneaking around, rushing to get things done, having little free time, it was hard, but being Ladybug changed my life, made me better. It's strange to think about how my life would be if I never got my miraculous." She looked off into the distance, pondering.

"It has had a huge impact on me too, I think being a superhero, having that duty, changes you, makes you think about other people besides yourself and gives you a better outlook. Becoming Cat Noir was the best thing that ever happened to me."

She looked back to him, eyes solemn, "I know there are good sides, but what about the bad? The villains trying to hurt people, there's so much pressure to save everyone, to fix everything, all the time. Don't you ever think about how it could be if that burden wasn't placed on our shoulders, we could live our normal lives, it would be so much easier." Ladybug sighed and looked down, Cat placed his hand over hers,

"Easy isn't always better, sure there is a lot of pressure sometimes, but we can handle it. Me and you," he gestured at both of them, "we were meant to be a team. We were chosen to be Ladybug and Cat Noir, we can overcome challenge after challenge, we can take Hawk Moth down, together. Even if I had the choice, I wouldn't change a thing. Being a superhero has led me to you, the best partner ever, it has also taught me a lot of valuable things. I think life works in mysterious ways, everything happens for a reason, sometimes we just need to have patience, to see how things play out. But also make sure to enjoy the moment."

Ladybug met his eyes again, she smiled, "So there really is a brain under that messy, blonde mop of yours," He rolled his eyes and chuckled, then nudged her shoulder with his. "Thanks, Cat Noir." She said as her eyes returned to the scene stretched before them.

They sat for a few moments, looking out at the neighboring buildings, then she spoke, "I'm glad you're my partner Cat, and if I could go back, I would still choose to be Ladybug and fight by your side. Even though you annoy me to pieces with all the puns." A smirk grew on her face.

Her words made a warm feeling blossom in his chest. He knew he would always be there for her, and she would be there for him. Even if she didn't have romantic feelings for him yet, there was still a place in her heart for him.

…

After sitting for a while, LB and Cat decided to go home and take naps, knowing they were in for a late-night.

Marinette finished her work and went to sleep.

_When Marinette got to the school she saw Alya going through the doors. She picked up her pace and caught up with her friend, "Hey," she said smiling. _

_Alya just gave her a weird, "Um, do I know you?" She said, eyebrows raising. _

_Marinette just laughed, "Very funny, Al," Her smile slipped off her face when she saw that's Alya was still looking at her like she was a crazy stranger. The unfamiliar stare Alya gave her threw her off balance, it was still probably a joke but Alya has suddenly gotten ten times better at acting. There was an awkward silence for a few beats before Marinette spoke again, rolling her eyes, she smirked, "It's Marinette, your BFF. Stop messing around and let's go to class." _

_Alya's face didn't change, "Have we met before? I don't think I know anyone named Marinette," Her gaze turned suspicious and she gave a small smirk, "Am I being punked? Did Lila put you up to this? That girl and her jokes." She shook her head and smiled, "She almost had me going there for a sec," _

_Marinette's face scrunched in perplexity, "Wait, what? Lila? This isn't a prank," Alya's face fell in confusion once again, _

_"Then what is this? Because I've never met you before," This was so weird, of course, Alya knew her, what was going on? _

_"It's me, Marinette! We have been best friends since the beginning of the year when you came here." _

_"No, we haven't."_

_"Yes we have, I'll prove it," She looked for her phone but it wasn't in her pockets or her bag, she saw Alya's phone in her hand. Marinette clicked the button and the home screen flashed on, "See-What," The picture that had been of her and Alya was now a selfie with Alya and Lila. Marinette's eyes were wide with horror. Alya glanced at her phone then back to Marinette, _

_"Okay… I think I know what the picture on my phone is, I don't know what is going on here, but I've gotta go to class." She turned and walked away. Why didn't Alya know her? Something must be wrong. She walked to homeroom, when she arrived, the sight was not comforting in the slightest. In her seat, sitting next to Alya was Lila, they were talking and giggling. Adrien was there too, but he was sitting next to Chloé. Their sides were pressed together and he had his arm around her, whispering something in her ear with a flirty look on his face, while Chloé was smiling ear to ear. The sight made her heart ache, why was Alya best friends with Lila, why were Chloé and Adrien together? Nino was sitting alone with his headphones on, frowning._

_Someone tapped her on the shoulder, Marinette turned to see Ms. Bustier, smiling down at her sweetly, "Are you new to our class, dear?" _

_She frowned, "No." Then she slid past the teacher and left. Leaving the school, she raced down the street towards the bakery. Her parents had to remember her._

_Opening the bakery doors, she heard the little bell ding, "Hi, how can we help you?" Sabine said from behind the counter, Tom close behind. Marinette's eyes grew teary, _

_"You have to remember, you have to. It's me, Marinette." She said, becoming desperate._

_"I'm sorry, do we know you?" Then her eyes flicked to the family photo on the desk, she saw only her parents smiling faces. The picture was the same, but it was like she was photoshopped out of it. This put her over the edge, without another word, she turned and left. Walking to the nearest ally she transformed, only because she didn't want to be Marinette anymore, the girl that didn't exist all of a sudden. _

_Now Ladybug, she decided to drop into a public square, not thinking anymore. People turned to look at her and frowned, then they started booing. She heard things like, 'Get out of here! You suck Ladybug! You'll never defeat Hawk Moth! You're a terrible hero! All you do is fail! When will you get a clue! We hate you Ladybug!' The people were gathering around her, yelling their complaints and lecturing her, the comments boring down on her. She couldn't take it anymore, grabbing her yo-yo, she swung away from the upheaval. _

_Landing on a random rooftop out of sight, she broke down. Arms wrapped around her knees, she put her head down and cried. What had she done wrong? Why did everyone hate her, maybe the people were right, maybe she was a terrible superhero and they were fed up with her incompetence. Nobody knew who Marinette was at all, not even her parents. Was it worse to be hated or suddenly nonexistent to everyone close to you? She couldn't decide. She had no friends, no family, she was alone, forgotten._

_Someone landed on the roof behind her, she didn't bother to look up and see, the only one it could be was Cat Noir. "Cat," her voice was thick with emotion, "I think I messed up big time. Everyone hates me, they were saying such terrible things but I worry, what if what they're saying is true? What if I don't deserve to be a superhero? And everything with my civilian life is messed up too and I just don't know what to do anymore." She waited a bit, face still hidden in her knees. _

_Then she heard him laugh, not a jovial laugh, but a cold, mocking one, "Don't you see, you silly, silly girl, everything they've been saying is true. You failed them, you failed me. You were never a good partner and anyone else would be a better Ladybug than you. All you are is a klutz and a fraud, Hawk Moth would have been defeated by now if it weren't for you. I don't need you to save Paris, Ladybug should never see the light of day again. You're a failure and a joke. Don't forget it." _

_Ladybug shook with sobs, how could he say something so spiteful to her, even Cat Noir had turned on her. Her partner, her friend, her Kitty, had thrown her in the mud, abandoned her. The shouting started up again all around her, stating plainly how bad of a hero she was, what strong feelings of hate they felt towards her. _

_She sat, holding herself tightly, breath heaving, tears leaking, heart breaking, unable to silence the hurtful words, no matter how badly she wanted them to cease._

***Update: It is with a heavy heart I say that this story has been discontinued. I am truly sorry to the people who were loving the story, but do to lack of motivation and my own sloppiness in the previous chapters, I simply can't continue this story. Future stories to come, hopefully even better stories than this one. **


End file.
